Aging-simulation experience: impact on health professionals' social representations.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Geriatric Education
• Healthcare Professional Training
• Patient Experience Simulation

Background:

• Healthcare professionals often lack awareness of sensory and functional challenges in older patients.
• Innovative educational methods like aging-simulation can enhance understanding of age-related limitations.
• This study investigated the impact of an aging-simulation experience on health professionals' perceptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an aging-simulation experience in altering health professionals' views on age-related limitations.
• To assess changes in geriatric knowledge and emotional responses to age-related difficulties.

Main Methods:

• 306 health professionals participated in an aging-simulation session.
• Pre- and post-simulation free association tests on sensory and functional domains were conducted.
• Likert scale questionnaires assessed perceptions of age-related difficulties.

Main Results:

• Ten semantic categories emerged from 3060 free evocations, reflecting geriatric knowledge and feelings.
• The aging-simulation experience significantly impacted participants' knowledge and feelings about age-related limitations.
• Observed changes led to a greater appreciation of the difficulties associated with aging.

Conclusions:

• Aging-simulation is an effective educational tool for increasing health professional awareness of age-related challenges.
• The sensory experience allows professionals to empathize with older patients' difficulties.
• This method fosters a deeper understanding of the lived experience of aging.